Burial-vault.



J. H. MILLIGAN.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED 001210, 1911.

Patented July 9 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

an uento'c QX) itmeooeo J. H. MILLIGAN.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED 0021.10, 1911.

mm. 0am B 73 9H UH u m dB 63 m2 .w a P JAMES H. MILLIGAIN', 0FLAWRENCEVILTJE, ILLINOIS.

IBURIAL-VAULT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. MILLIGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lawrenceville', in the county of Lawrence and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial-Vaults; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to burial vaults and has for its object toprovide a vault to receive a casket, coflin or the like prior to interment, and to maintain the contents of the vault in an absolutelyair-tight condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vault of the characterdescribed which is constructed of material which will not becomedisintegrated by chemical action and which will repel moisture and waterto such an extent that the contents of'the vault will at all timesremain in a perfectly dry condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a'novel construction forsealing and locking the vault in such manner that after the same hasbeen sealed and looked that the vault cannot be reopened and thecontents thereof removed or tampered with.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction of'the vault and in the novel construction for sealing andlocking the same. i

The invention also-consists in certain other features of constructionand in combinations of parts, all of which will be first fully describedand afterward specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe top member of a vault constructed in accordance with this invention.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bottom member of the vault. Fig. 3 isa transverse vertical sectional view through the vault. Fig. 1 is anenlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view illustratingSpecification-of Letters Patent.

Application filed. October 10, 1911.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Serial No. 653,888.

the sealing and locking construction of the vault Fi 5 is an enlargedside elevation of the mec ianical locking member, and Fig. 6 is a-frontelevation of the same.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout theseveralfigures in which;

1 indicates the vault which comprises the upper vault section 2 and.-the lower or bottom vault section 3. As will appear from Figs. 3 and 4the lowerbottom section 3 is provided with side walls 1 which extend tothe point 5. Formed on the walls 4 and ends 6 is a trough 7 whichentirely surrounds the vault, a wall 8 being provided to form the trough7, said wall 8 terminating at 9 which is preferably at a point slightlybelow the upper edge of the wall 4. Formed on the inner face of the wall8 and near the top thereof is a continuous projecting bead 10. The topvault section 2 comprises the ver tical sides 11 and ends 12, and formedon said sides and ends is a continuous projecting flange 13 having aninclined upper surface 14; while on the outer face of the sides 11 andends 12 is a'continuous projecting bead 15, said bead 15 being providedwith a continuous depression 16 1n the upper portion thereof.

As will appear fromthe drawings the trough 7 in the lower section 3receives the lower portion of the sides 11 and ends 12 of the uppervault section 2; while the projecting flange 13 on the said uppersection projects to the outer edge of the wall 8 of the lower vaultsection 3, thus forming a closurefor the trough 7 as is clearly apparentfrom the drawings.

17 indicates the mechanical locking'memher which as shown in Fig. 5tapers ou-tward] from its bottom to its top and is provi ed with arounded bottom 18 to conform to the depression 16in the continuous bead15, and as will appear from Fig. 6 said member 17 is provided with anelongated base 19 to form a long base of support for her, are providedon the upper surface of the top member 2 for the purpose of transportingthe vault, while a plurality of trans.

verse ribs 23, preferably three in number, are formed on the bottom ofthe lower section 3 in order to support the same and to allow for readywithdrawal of the straps usually employed for lowering the vault intothe grave.

Having thus'described the several parts of this invention its operationis as follows: In the construction of the vault it is preferable toemploy vitrified tile or some other suitable damp. resisting andabsolutely water-proof material which can be molded and which is notsubject to disintegration and the chemical action of the soil andcontents of the vault, and the two sections being molded as describedand shown in the drawings the same are placed in position together toinclose the casket or cofi'in in a manner as shown and described. Inorder, however, to effect a hermetical sealing of the vault we prefer toemploy an asphaltum which is a by-product of petroleum and whichexperience has shown will not disintegrate'and crack and which isabsolutely damp-proof and water resisting. Before the upper section 2 isplaced in position on the lower section 3 a quantity of asphaltum orsome other equally suitable material is poured into the trough 7 and themechanical locking members 17 are placed in positionon the continuousbeads 15 of the upper section. Ihe said upper sedtion and mechanicallocking members 17 are then placed in position as shown in Figs. 3 and awhich obviously forces the asphaltum or other sealing material to thetop of the trough 7 as shown in saidFigs. 8 and 4. Said asphaltum beingin liquid form the mechanical locking members 17 by reason of theirshape and form drop into position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the upper end20 of the members falling under the inclined surface 21 of thecontinuous projecting bead 10 on the lower vault section 3, thusmechanically locking the two vault sections together in suchmanner thatthey can never be taken apart. The asphaltum or other suitable sealingmaterial becomes set shortly after the sections are placed in positionand as said material becomes set around the mechanical locking members17 it absolutely holds said mechanical locking members in their properlocked position as illustrated in Fig. 4 in such manner that it isabsolutely impossible to disengage said locking members in order to openthe vault. However, as the asphaltum or other suitable sealing materialbecomes set around the continuous projecting beads 10 and 15 a thoroughlocking action is effected by means of the said asphaltum or sealingmawhich is not subject to the chemical action of the soil and which isdamp repelling and water resisting, for the reason that unless the vaultis entirely and absolutely air-tight and water-tight the objects of'theinvention are in a large measure defeated. It will further be noted thatby reason of the novel construction antl arrangement of the sealingmaterial and mechanical locking elements that the said sealing materialnot only holds the said locking elements permanently in their lockingposition but at the same time entirely protects and covers the same,thus eflectively guarding against corrosion or disintegration of thesaid mechanical locking elements.

It will thus be seen fromthe foregoing that a vault constructed inaccordance with this invention and of proper materials will beabsolutely air-tight, damp resisting and Water-proof to such anextentthat the contents of the vault will at all times remain in a drycondition and'in a state of preservation.

While it is apparent that a number of slight changes can be made in theconstruc tion and arrangement of the parts I consider myself entirelyentitled to all such changes and modificationsas fall within the scopeof the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is 1.' A vault comprising an upper member, a lower member, saidlowermember being provided with a trough to receive said up-- permember, a continuous projecting bead on said lower member, a continuousprojecting bead on said upper member, said beads extending into saidtrough, a suitable sealing material in said trough and in contact withthe adjacent surfaces of the said upper and lower members and the saidcontinuous projecting beads thereon, a mechanical locking element insaid trough having one end thereof in engagement with the continuousprojecting bead on the said upper member and the other end thereofinengagement with the continuous projecting bead on the said lowermember, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

2. A vault of the character described projecting into said trough to keythe same comprising two members, a trough formed vault elementstogether, substantially as dein one of s'aid members to receive theother scribed and for the purposes set forth; 10 member, suitablesealing material insaid In testimony whereof I afiix my signatrough,continuous beadson said members ture, in-presence of two witnesses.

1 JAMES H. MILLIGAN. in said sealing material; and'a mechanicalWitpesses: locking element in said trough and in en- G. MsFoRRns'r,gagement with said beads to lock the said Ep RYAN.

